Taking on two ponies - haven't a clue!

[TwoPonyTony]

We went to see a house with quite a bit of land (for us) and the owners currently had horses in the paddocks. Amongst the horses were two small ponies that looked like unicorns without the horn. They were very friendly and came straight over to the kids. The owner then proceeded to tell me in front of said smitten children that I could have the two ponies with the house/land if I wanted them. Cue jumping up and down children. We have always had animals but never a horse. The owner said they keep the grass down. So tell me everything I don't know about keeping two small ponies. How much exactly is it going to cost me to keep these two little chaps as happy as possible? I do at least understand this means sorting them out every day. There currently is a Gardner/animal keeper? living in the annex but he's moving on. I would be up for finding another person willing to do the same work but need some sort of grasp on the whole thing myself first.

All the horses I have known that have had had to be put down are shot.
I think it is standard practice.
It is a highly possible end for any horse you own OP.

I think the PP meant if the old owner keeps the passports, they can rock up and take the horses away/sell them, claiming they were only on loan to OP, or using their grazing (for free!) if they fancy it...

OP could however manage this by using the provisions for abandoned animals and re-registering horses as hers if she needed to, following the BHA advice I posted above (doesn't mean it's a good idea of course!)

Yes I know, sorry I realise now the ouster was meaning if the ownership wasn't transferred.

Yes, mine were shot at the hunt kennels, the master sounded the horn so he thought he was going hunting. Ears pricked, didn't know a thing about it. Good boy he was.

Echo everyone else - don't do it. You're looking at years to gain the basic knowledge (if you had experienced help on hand) and decades to become experienced. I presume your children want to ride? If so, ask why the owner is willing to give you two suitable riding ponies as a freebie with the house, when she could get a few grand selling then to local pony clubbers. The answer is that no knowledgeable horsey person would touch them with a barge pole. Check out the local FB groups - plenty of people try to offload their knackered, elderly or just plain dangerous equines with the old "free to a good home". What you will have is two expensive (in time and money) lawn ornaments.

I have been involved with horses for 30 years now, have owned my current horse for nearly 20 years, am on a livery yard with plenty of people around to ask, and I still have massive wobbles from time to time about the best way to feed/rug/shoe/medicate etc etc. Also, shooting - yep, I would do this for my beloved mare unless she was already down (colic or similar). No one wants their horse's last moments to be a terrifying thrashing as they try not to fall over while the first injection takes effect.

Also they are out in a paddock now, but in the winter when there's no grass you will need to buy hay for them which means storing it somewhere.

Well shooting is the cheapest option , makes them edible for the local hunts dogs
A dead horse is a difficult animal to move , so they quite often do it in the horse box / trailer or I have known it happen at the local hunt premises

Yes I have owned horses , and no I have never had one put down
One girl from our livery yard , obtained permission to bury her horse ( its easier to bury a human apparently ) She had to take her horse to the site , and the horse was put down by injection , cost her a fortune , but personally I think you owe that last bit of respect to the animal

I've seen a horse and a few cats and dogs be put to sleep by injection when they've struggled . Let's just say shooting is kinder!

Why do the vendors want you to take on their horses? Because while they are wonderful creatures and can be much lower maintenance than many PPs have described, you would be nuts to go to the trouble and expense unless you had a good enough reason- specifically because your family ride them and love them. If you are willing to put yourself to the trouble and expense of keeping horses, choose ones that are right for you and/or your children, don't allow someone else to foist them on you. otherwise they are just big, hungry and needy pets.
If they have anything going for them, they will be easy enough for the vendors to re-home. They WON'T go to a sanctuary. If they dont have any good points you really dont want to be lumbered with them. They are not your responsibility. As house buyers you are holding the cards; if they believe you'll walk away from the deal they'll take the ponies off the table fast enough!

Fibbke that made me cry. The last loving thing we can do for our animal is to let them leave us with as little stress and pain as possible.

We’ve had 4 horses put to sleep by injection and then they get taken away for cremation at the pet crem . Obviously they have a sedative first which takes them down but then it’s little different to having any other animal pts . I’ve been present with the vet at all 4 , I couldn’t personally be present at a shooting .

Shooting is the quickest and kindest, in all honesty. Like a PP, I blow the horn when it's time, as it means that they are going out with the pleasure of thinking they'll see the hounds any minute. It's not pleasant to be there, but only because it's the death of a beloved friend - far nicer than issues with sedatives and barbiturates, tbh, with the associated distress.

OP, if you would like to buy a house with a separate staff residence, stables and room for two ponies, but without ponies in residence, please feel free to pm me for details

Quadrupled post. Look up lamintis - extremely nasty condition. I would second saying a big no to taking the ponies they will take up a huge amount of time as people have said above

@Hefzi we have been looking for ages but it has to be in and around oxford. This place is perfect minus the pony problem!

Really shocked the owner would say anything in front of excitable children! As shocked they would consider giving them to you who has no experience.
Don’t take them on. Hours each day on all the work outlined above plus money on vets farriers (if shod) fencing electric fencing to keep grazing managed (laminitis is awful) hay shelter etc etc.
Is there a riding place locally where your kids can ride every now and then?

OP, South Bucks do you? It's about 20 minutes to Central Oxford down the M40... (Though it doesn't have a bathroom per bedroom, which seems to be an issue for some buyers in these environmentally aware days )

@Hefzi that's exactly the wrong side for schools for us. Shame!

I'm a qualified BHSI instructor and have been for over ten years, in the nicest way possible please do NOT take on these ponies, they are not pets, they may seem like they dont need any full on attention but they do, I will not go into too much detail as you have been given very good advice from people who know what they are talking about. I do think that was deplorable of the prospective seller to say in front of your children that they could be part of the sale.
With regards to the "shooting" of a horse to put it to sleep, it is the most humane way, I have had three of my most beloved pets (horses) over the years put to sleep, two being old and one with a broken leg, and I cannot fathom why anyone would want to subject them to any other way, again in the nicest way possible you not have the experience or the knowledge so please do not take on these ponies x

Should read "BHSAI" sorry

It's all been said already, so just adding my "don't do it" OP.

A friend of mine bought a pony after riding at a riding school for about 8 years. Said friend thought she knew it all - it's an easy and common mistake to make, as until you've looked after a pony, you can have no concept of how much knowledge is required to meet the pony's basic needs, or how time consuming it is.

A year down the line, she regrets ever getting the pony, and this is someone who willingly paid in excess of £2500 for it, had spent a good 8 months researching it, and 8 years learning to ride prior to buying it.

It often comes as a big shock to people, just how little you know versus how much you need to know, how much you think it will cost versus how much it actually does cost, and how much time it will eat up, versus how much time it actually does take.

Yes, and you can't just give them to a riding school, or an animal shelter!

Definitely get a clause in the contract that funds won't be transferred unless the horses are removed from the field.

I have a much loved 21 year old who is still fit , active and being ridden who hates the vet and injections. At annual booster and teeth time he cowers at the back of the stable and needs sedation top ups as he fights it.

When his time comes, i’ll get the hunt out to shoot him and he can go to the hounds.

As someone said you legally can’t bury them without Defra permission , either knackerman or hunt will take away as to move 1/2 ton dead horse needs a winch.

I think the thought of a bullet is very difficult for some people to get their head around, but it does seem kinder than an injection.

I was present for a shot after injection to calm. It was honestly shocking and the right thing all at the same time. Horse was buried in his field. Suddenly very large. Have lovely poppies growing there now. Miss him. Not mine but very close to him.

Has all this put you off yet, OP?

What are your thoughts after reading all this?

Personally I'd be fuming after her saying that you can have the ponies in front of and within earshot of your DCs. Completely irresponsible of her and no doubt a whole load of aggro for you - you'd be hard pushed to find young DCs who wouldn't think being given a couple of ponies would be the best thing they could ever be given!

Suddenly you're the mean mummy through no fault of your own, if you say no (and I really hope you do say no.)

These people are horrid. The house went to best and final and they've now said take the ponies with the sale or they'll go to the next buyer. Their solicitor suggested we speak to the gardener chap who has been looking after them. So I went to see him. His wages haven't been paid since the house went on the market which is why he's moving on. He was fairly distraught. He's older and clearly not going to take anyone to court and is just being used. We aren't going to lose this house over the ponies so we are taking them but we are also keeping the gardener who has known them since they were born. We've agreed to begin paying his wages and he's agreed to stay. We will of course learn everything we can from this chap and I'm going to try and find some sort of course to go on. They are old ponies. They will be given good care until it's their time but I won't bloody be standing there while someone shoots them!